Portable insulated container



March 8, 1960 R. k. ADAMS PORTABLE INSULATED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 28, 1958 INVENTOR. Eaberzli flak/725,.

March 8, 1960 R. K. ADAMS PORTABLE INSULATED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Nov. 28, 1958 L I 1& i

United States Patent.

PORTABLE INSULATED CONTAINER Robert K. Adams, Chicago, 1]]. ApplicationNovember 28, 1958, Serial No. 77 6,775 Claims. cl. 229-14 that-is ofalightweight construction andis readily port ble "Another object of theinvention is to provide an insulated container that may be constructedof a variety of materials but in particular of cardboard of some otherpaper material. i i I @Another object of the invention is to provide aninsulated container that is relatively inexpensive so. that it may bediscarded after a single use or only'a few uses.

:Another object of the invention is to provide a container that willinsulate its contents from the ambient temperature and maintain them ata given temperature for a:considerable period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container that may beattractively decorated so that it is readily commerciable.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent upon readingof the specification with reference to the following drawings:

. 'In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the con- 1 tainerembodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 with some of. theparts removed for purposes of clarification.

, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lid used in the construction ofthe container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inner casing used in theconstruction of the container. 3

Figure 5 is a plan view of one form of the blank from which the outercasingrnay be constructed.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the container shown in Figure 1. e

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional Figurel.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the blank from which the side walls of theinner casing maybe constructed.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the blank from which the bottom of the innercasing may be constructed.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the blank from which the lidmay beconstructed. I

Figure 12 is asegmentalview in section of the container in greaterdetail. 1

Figure 13 is a plan view of a blank from which a modified form of theouter casing may be constructed.

It will be apparent upon reading of the specification that the variouselements comprising the container other than the insulation, bails,staples, and the like, may be fabricated from numerous materials.However, the ele= view taken along lines 8-8 in ice ments areparticularly suited for construction frompape'p like materials,especially corrugated cardboard, which is relatively inexpensive, andconsequently, expendable ma-' terial. These elements are so designedthat they may be assembled from blanks which are precut from a singlesheet of material and-scored so as to facilitate the assembly of thebox. The score lines generally face inwardly so that there are no openor raw edges presented on the outside surfaces of the container. Thefastening "means used for securing various flaps and edges of the isgenerally rectangular in shape and is provided With-- the wire bails 18.The lid 16 is of the same general cross-sectional shape as the outercasing and is adapted to be received therein so as to provide asubstantially airtight seal, as will be explained in greater detaillater on;

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown one formof the blank fromwhich the outer casing 12' may be con-- structed. The blank 24 consistsof a single sheet of card.- board or the like, suitably scored so as toformthe various elements of the outer casing. The side panels 26,

28, 30, 32, and 34, are separated by the vertical score lines 36. Theend side panels 26 and 34 are triangular .1 in shape and co-operate toforma completed side such as that formed by the panels 28, '30, and 32,as can be seen in Figure 1. diagonal edges of the end side panels 26 and34 and are separated therefrom by the score line 40. The flap members 38are folded inwardly and staple together to hold the sides in theirfolded position, as shown in Figure 8.

A plurality of flap members 26a, 28a, 30a, and 32a are separated fromtheir respective associated side panels 26 to 32 by means of thehorizontal score line 42. The flap members 26a to 32a are triangular inshape and are folded inwardly to form the bottom of the outer casing 12.lThe triangular members 44 and 46 depend from. each of the flap membersand may or maynot be-sepa-;'

rated therefrom by the score lines 48 and 50. When the flap members 26ato 32a are folded inwardly as shownin Figure 6 to form the bottom of thecontainer, the triangular members 44 and 46 extend under adjacent flap.members so that the flap members are held in interlockentrant positionalong their associated respective side panels 28 to 34, as shown inFigure 7. By folding the panel members 28b to 3412 in this manner, allraw or cut edges are eliminated at the top of the container. The panelmembers 28b to 34b further serve to position the inner casing withrespect to the outer casing, as will beseen later on. The tabs 54 and 56co-operate with the, inner casing 14 so as to hold the associated panelmern hers 28b to 34b in their re-entrant positions.

Referring now to Figure .9, the inner casing 1'4 64, and 66 of the innercasing 14 are formed by the vertical score lines 68. The flap members 70are provided, on each end of the blank 58 and arefolded outwardly andstapled together, aswshown in Figure 8. The horizontal score lines 72separate the panels 60a, 62a, 64a, and

66a, from the associated side panels 60 to 66. Each of the panels 60a to66a'are provided. with the. uott;l l ed Patented Mar. 8, 1960 A flapmember 38 depends from'ther is, formed in part from the blank 58consisting of a single sheet of cardboard or the like. The sidepanels.60,62,

3 portiohs'Ttandare folded outwardly as shown in Figure The flap members6011 through 66a position the sides 60 through 66 of the inner casing 14and atthe. same time hold"th'e panels 2812 through 3412 in theirre-entrant positions. Thenotched portions 74 receive the tabs:56' of.thepanelszsb'to 3412 as shown inFigure 7. The corners formed by the fiapmembers 60a to 66a are open so that the tabs-54 on the panels 28b and32b are received there in. The free edges of thepanels 28b to 34b otherthan the tabs 54 and 56rest on the panels 60a to 66a. In this manner thepanels 28b to 34b when in their reentrant position secure the insidecasing 14 within the outside. casing 12.

The bottom 76 f the inside casing 14: is formed from the blank-78consisting of a single sheet of cardboard or the like. The bottom panel80 is formed by the scorelines 82 which separate it from the flaps 86,88, 90, and 92. The flaps- 86 to 92am folded downwardly. and lie insubstantially co-extensive and substantially touching relationship withthe sides 60 to 66 of the inner casing 14. The flaps 86 through 92 maybe secured by some suitable means such as staples or adhesive to theassociated sides of the inner casing 14.

As was-mentioned previously, thesides of the inner casing 14 are spacedfrom the sides of the outer casing 12 in the manner shown in Figure 7.In its preferred embodiment a fiber glass batting 94 is placed betweenthe sides ofthe outer casing and the inner casing. The fiber glassbatting 94 is also placed between the bottom panel 80 and the bottomof-theouter casing 12. In this manner, it is possible to insulate thecontents of the container from the ambient temperature'on all four sidesand'on the bottom.

The bails 18 may consist'of the wire struts 20 which are secured at oneend to the outer casing 12 between the re-entrant panels 28b and 32b andthe associated sides 28 and 32, so as to eliminate any tendency to pullout. The other ends of the struts 20 are aifixed to the tubularcardboard members 22 which furnish a suitable handle. It should bepointed'out that other forms of construction may be'used-for the bails18.

Referring now to Figure 1 1, there is shown a blank 98 consisting of asingle sheet of cardboard or the like from which the lid 16 may beconstructed. The blank 98 includes the panel Nil-formed by the doublescore lines 102. The fiap members 106, 108, 110, and 112 depend from thepanel'member 100 along the score lines 102. The fi'ap'members 106through 112 are folded inwardly to form the bottom panel 114 of the lid16. The tab members 116 which depend from each of the flap members 106through 112, extend under adjacent flap members so as to hold them ininterlocking engagement. This interlocking construction is substantiallythe same as that of the bottom of the outer casing 12 and can be readilyseen in Figure 6. As mentioned previously, this arrangement eliminatesthe necessity of any auxiliary fastening means such as staples, rivets,or the like.

When the various elements of the lid are folded into their respectivepositions, thelid is formed into a tubular construction in which thebottom 114 is spaced from the top 169. A fiber glass batting 119 ispositioned intermediate the top 100 and the bottom 114to provide thedesired insulating properties, as shown in Figure 7. The lid 16 isadapted to be received within the outer casing 12 in the portionsdefined by the flap members 28b through 34b. The shoulders formed by theflap members 60:: through 6621 serve to support the lid 16 in the mannershown in Figure 7. It is possible to construct the lid 16 so that it isin tight engagement with the panel members 28a through 34b when insertedinto the outer casing 12 due to the flexibility of the cardboard. Inthis manner it is possible to virtually seal the contents of thecontainer from the surrounding. atmosphere. The contents can, therefore,be maintained at its respective temperature for a substantial'period'oftime due to the fact that it is surrounded by the insulation battingsand is substantially sealed cit from the surrounding atmosphere.

As best shown in Figure 7, the lid 16 is provided with the tab 117 tofacilitate its removal from the container. The tab 117 consists of asmall piece of cardboard which extends through the slot 118 in the panel100.

Referring now to Figure 13, there is shown another form of a blank fromwhich the outer casing 12 may be constructed. The blank 120 consists ofthe panels 122, 124, 126, and 128 separated by the score lines 130. Atthe ends of the blank 120 are the flap members 132 which arefoldedinwardly'and stapled together in a conventional manner so as to securethe ends together. The members 122a, 124a, 126a, and 128a are formed bythe score line 134 and are adapted to fold inwardly to form the bottompanelof the outside casing. The flap members 122a through 128a'are heldin'interlocking engagement by the tabs 136, depending therefrom. Thisarrangement is substantially the same as that shown in Fig ure 6 and aswas described previously. At the upper edges of the panels 122 through128 are the panel members 122b, 124b, 126b, and 128b, which are formedby the double fold line 138. The panel members 12% through 1281:arefolded into a re-entrant position which is in touching relationshipwith the associated sides 122 through 128. This construction is the sameas that described previously with regard to the first embodiment of theblank used in. the construction of the outer casing.

In the event that a meltable refrigerant is employed in the container,it is generally desirable that the inside container 14 be coated withsome water impervious substance. Parafiin is particularly suitable forthis use and may be readily applied to the cardboard material used inthe construction of the inside casing 14.

The portable container of the-present invention is particularly suitablefor shipping articles which must be protected from temperature changes.In this category are blood plasma, whole blood, and biologicals. Inshipping articles such as these abroad, the considerable weight of priorart containers has proved particularly disadvantageous. Thesecontainersare often expensive to manufacture and consequently there wasneed for returning them. The container of the present invention isexpendable and may be discarded after one shipment.

It is also possible due to the virtual sealing engagement of the lidwith the outer casing to protect the contents of the container fromatmospheric moisture. A suitable desiccant maybe placedinside thecontainer so as to eliminate all moisture which may happen to enter thecontainer.

The container may also be used for the shipment of articles such as"frozen food, dairy products and the like. As a result of the insulatedproperties'of the container, it is possible to store articles such asfrozen foods and dairy products for a considerable length of timewithout danger of spoilage; These containers may also be used byindividuals for transporting, food for picnics, catering services, andthe like.

It should be pointed out that the cardboard, in particular theexposed-surfacesand the outside casing and the lid '16 may beattractively decorated or colored so as to enhance the commerciabilityof the container.

The container has been described in terms of cardboard or some similarpaper material; however, it is contemplated that other materials such asplastic or the like may be used in its construction.

Although the container has been described in terms of a preferredembodiment, it is to beunderstood that this is merely by way of exampleand is in no manner to be construed as a limitation. It is contemplatedthat certain modifications may be made'within the scope of theclaims'without'departing from the spirit of the invention.

1. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formedfrom an integral sheet, having a plurality of outer sides formed alongpredetermined score lines, inwardly extending flange members formedalong predetermined score lines depending from the bottoms of saidsides, said inwardly extending flange members co-operating to form abottom closure'for said outer casing, and tab members formed alongpredetermined score lines depending from the tops of said sides, saidtab members be ing folded into re-entrant positions along theirassociated sides; an inner casing including a sheet, formed into aplurality of sides along predetermined score lines, outwardly extendingflange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintaining saidinner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and a bottomclosure member so cured to said inner sides, said bottom closure havingdownwardly depending flange members for spacing said inner casing fromsaid bottom closure of said outer casing; insulation batting disposedbetween said side walls and said bottom closures of said outer casingand said inner casing; a lid member including a closure membersubstantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardlydepending flange members at the sides of said closure member formedalong predetermined score lines, and inwardly extending flange membersco-operating to form a substantially planar element substantiallyparallel with said closure member and spaced therefrom; and bail membersextending along the score line between What is claimed is:

the tops of the sides of said outer casing and said returnbent tabs.

2. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formedfrom an integral sheet having a plurality of sides formed alongpredetermined score lines with a right triangular half of one side atone end of said sheet and a complementary right triangular half of oneside at the other end of said sheet, a tab member depending from thehypotenuse of at least one of said right triangular halves forinterlocking said right triangular halves to form a completed side whensaid outer casing is assembled, inwardly extending flange members formedalong predetermined score lines depending from the bottoms of saidsides, said inwardly extending flange members cooperating to form abottom closure for said outer casing, and tab members formed alongpredetermined score lines depending from the tops of said sides, saidtab members being folded into re-entrant positions along theirassociated sides; an inner casing including a sheet, formed into aplurality of sides along predetermined score lines, outwardly extendingflange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintaining saidinner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and a bottomclosure member secured to said inner sides, said bottom closure havingdownwardly depending flange members for spacing said inner casing fromsaid bottom closure of said outer casing; and a lid member including aclosure member substantially complementary to the top of said outercasing, downwardly depending flange members at the sides of said closuremember formed along predetermined score lines, and inwardly extendingflange members cooperating to form a substantially planar elementsubstantially parallel with said closure member and spaced therefrom.

3. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formedfrom an integral sheet, inwardly extending flange members formed alongpredetermined score lines depending from the bottoms of said sides, saidinwardly extending flange members co-operating to form a bottom closurefor said outer casing, and tab members formed along predetermined scorelines depending from the tops of said sides, said tab members beingfolded into re-entrant positions along their associated sides; an innercasing including a sheet formed into a plurality of sides formed alongpredetermined score lines, outwardly extending flange members at thetops of said inner sides for maintaining said inner casing in spacedrelation from said outer casing, and a bottom closure member secured tofrom said bottom closure of said outer casing; and a lid member adaptedto reston the outv'vardlyextending'.v

flanges at the top of said inner casing: including a closure membersubstantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardlydepending flange members at the sides of said closure member formedalong predctermined score lines, and an inwardly extending wedgeshapedmember depending from each of said flange members, said wedge-shapedmember having a tab member depending therefrom for interlocking saidWedgeshaped members with wedge-shaped members depending from adjacentsides so as to form a second closure member spaced from andsubstantially parallel with said first closure member.

4. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formedfrom an integral sheet, having a plurality of outer sides formed alongpredetermined score lines, an inwardly extending wedge-shaped memberdepending from the bottom of each of said sides, said wedge-shapedmember having a tab member depending therefrom for interlocking saidwedge-shaped member with wedgeshaped members depending from adjacentsides so as to form a bottom closure for said outer casing, and tabmembers formed along predetermined score lines depending from the topsof said sides, said tab members being folded into re-entrant positionsalong their associated sides; an inner casing including a sheet, formedinto a plurality of sides along predetermined score lines, outwardlyextending flange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintainingsaid inner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and abottom closure member secured to said inner sides, said bottom closurehaving downwardly depending flange members for spacing said inner casingfrom said bottom closure of said outer casing; and a lid member adaptedto rest on the outwardly extending flanges at the top of said innercasing including a closure member substantially complementary to the topof said outer casing, downwardly depending flange members at the sidesof said closure member formed along predetermined score lines, andinwardly extending flange members co-operating to form a substantiallyplanar element substantially parallel with said closure member andspaced therefrom.

5. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formedfrom an integral sheet having a plurality of sides formed alongpredetermined score lines with a right triangular half of one side atone end of said sheet and a complementary right triangular half of oneside at the other end of said sheet, a tab member depending from thehypotenuse of at least one of said right triangular halves forinterlocking said right triangular halves to form a completed side whensaid outer casing is assembled, an inwardly extending wedge-shapedmember depending from the bottom of each of said sides, saidwedge-shaped member having a tab member depending therefrom forinterlocking said wedge-shaped member with wedge-shaped membersdepending from adjacent sides so as to form a bottom closure for saidouter casing, and tab members formed along predetermined score linesdepending from the tops of said sides, said tab members being foldedinto re-entrant positions along their associated sides; an inner casingincluding a sheet formed into a plurality of sides along predeterminedscore lines, outwardly extending flange members at the tops of saidinner sides for maintaining said inner casing in spaced relation fromsaid outer casing, and a bottom closure member secured to said innersides, said bottom closure having downwardly depending flange membersfor spacing said inner casing from said bottom closure of said outercasing; and a lid member adapted to rest on the outwardly extendingflanges at the top of said inner casing including a closure membersubstantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardlydepending flange members at the sides of said closure member formedalong predeter- 7 mined score lines, and an inwardly extendingwedgeshaped member depending from each of said flange mem-.

bers, said wedge-shaped member having a tab member depending therefromfor interlocking said wedge-shaped members with wedge-shaped membersdepending from adjacent sides so as to form a second closure memberspaced from and substantially parallel with said first closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTS VRosenthal Jan. 27, 1959

